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Case Studies / Tensile Testing of Board for Self-Assembly and Ready-Made Furniture

Tensile Testing of Board for Self-Assembly and Ready-Made Furniture

Solution

High-capacity twin-column tensile testing system with advanced software control and precision cells
Surface Soundness Jig (EN 311)
Tensile Strength Jig (EN 319)
Tensile Strength Jig (IKEA TM-0057) - PSV19044

Benefits

Automated software execution aligned with standardised procedures for material strength, bond integrity, and fastener retention
High levels of accuracy and repeatability for both industry standards and internal specifications
Automatic calculation of key mechanical properties for each specimen
Regular production of test reports in personalized, user-directed formats.

Requirement

The producers of engineered wood panels in modular and ready-to-assemble furniture products need to guarantee uniform structural performance of the products at high production levels. Particle board is an uncomplicated board, which is made by compressing wood particles and resin under controlled conditions, and is an important material because it is quite cheap yet very versatile.

Nonetheless, since the latter boards are often exposed to mechanical loading in any cabinet and storage unit, the internal bonding strength and external integrity of surfaces are to be thoroughly tested. Loss of uniformity in bonding may be a threat to its durability, especially in the process of repetitive assembly or load bearing.

Solution

Surface Soundness Testing (EN 311)

This method evaluates the bonding strength between the surface layer and the underlying core. An allocated space on the board surface is connected to a loading pad, and tensile force is produced perpendicular to the surface till failure ensues. The peak force determines the quality of adhesion on the surface and points to the existence of defects in bonding.

Tensile Strength Perpendicular to Surface (EN 319)

In order to test the internal cohesion of the board, specimens are loaded by sticking loading blocks on both faces. They are held in self-aligning holding devices, and a controlled tensile load is imposed on them. The resulting peak force gives an indication of the internal bond strength of the board, and therefore, it will be able to sustain service loads without delamination.

Fastener Retention Testing (IKEA TM-0057, ASTM D1037)

Since self-assembly furniture requires a lot of screws and fittings, the capability of the board to hold fasteners is important. Screws are inserted to a specified depth in both surface and edge orientations. A tensile load is then applied until withdrawal or a defined limit is reached. The recorded force confirms the suitability of the board for practical assembly applications.

The testing system allows easy implementation of all three methods on one platform. Test routines are controlled by integrated software; the real-time data is recorded, and the performance parameters are automatically calculated, which provides consistency and traceability of results between batches.